RIP Doc Halladay

Like so many of you, I was shocked and saddened Tuesday by the sudden death of former Major Leaguer Roy Halladay.  Flashbacks to Thurman Munson and Corey Lidle came to mind when I heard that Halladay was killed while flying his Icon A5 amphibious light aircraft. He was just 40-years old.

Halladay loved flying his plane but something went terribly wrong on Tuesday when he crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. It wasn't immediately clear if any passengers were on board but no other bodies were found.

Halladay was the fiercest of fierce competitors. After a slow start with the Toronto Blue Jays, Halladay began to dominate American League hitters. And, he did it by putting batters away quickly. It's the reason he was able to pitch deep into games on so many occasions (he led baseball in complete games seven times). As Sports Illustrated writer/MLB Network commentator Tom Verducci pointed out, when Halladay put a hitter in an 0-2 hole, he didn't waste a pitch. He aggressively went after the hitter.

He was the type of pitcher that made you say "oh crap" (out loud) when you realized he would be facing your team that night. In 2002, his career began to take off when he led the AL in innings pitched and wins.

The Colorado native had precise control and led the AL and NL a combined five times in strikeout-to-walk ratio. In his 16 years in the bigs, he surrendered less than one home run per nine innings pitched. He was that good.

When the Blue Jays decided it was time to rebuild, Halladay accepted a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies prior to the 2010 season. He merely went out, won 21 games that year, led the NL in complete games and shutouts, and took home his second career Cy Young Award.

The 2010 season was highlighted by a perfect game on May 10 against the Miami Marlins. Then, in his first career postseason appearance, he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds in the Division Series. In doing so, he joined the Yankees' Don Larsen as the only pitchers to throw a no-hitter in the postseason.

A year later, Halladay won 19 games and pitched 233.2 innings. But, then his prized right arm started to get cranky. He pitched for two more years in Philly but made just 13 starts in 2013. He then retired to spend time with his family, flying, and coaching youth baseball.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Brandy and their sons Ryan and Braden.

RIP Doc.

Shout It From The Rooftops: Opening Day Is Here! - Lineups

Regular season test 1 of Tanaka's elbow

April 6, 2015. A lovely Spring day that is perfect for the opening of the baseball season at the big Stadium in the Bronx.

The Yankees open with a tough week - three games each with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.  The Yankees send Masahiro Tanaka to the hill for the opener. It's the first time since he became a Yankees in 2009 that CC Sabathia isn't the Game 1 starter.

The Yankees lineup, which looks very strange without Derek Jeter in the two hole, is

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
LF Brett Gardner
RF Carlos Beltran
1B Mark Teixeira
  C Brian McCann
3B Chase Headley
DH Alex Rodriguez
2B Stephen Drew
SS Didi Gregorius

The Blue Jays go with

SS Jose Reyes
  C Russell Martin
RF Jose Bautista
1B Edwin Encarnacion
3B Josh Donaldson
DH Dioner Navarro
CF Dalton Pompey
LF Kevin Pillar
2B Devon Travis

Let the game begin.

Yankees Loss of Nix Hurts More Than You Think

There have been a number of players over the years described as scrappy, pesky, or a "real gamer". Sometimes those terms have been used so often, such as describing David Eckstein, that it annoyed fans. It really is said to mean said player does more with less. (Which could  kind of sound like a slight to the player.)

Teams like to include those types of players on their rosters. Guys like Phil Garner, who would run through walls to help his team win a game. Jayson Nix is that type of player and when the Yankees lost him for the season with a broken hand Wednesday night they lost some attitude and grit in their clubhouse.

Don't go quoting Nix's OPS to me to belittle him. Nix is the kind of player whose game isn't necessarily reflected in box scores. His best asset is his versatility; he can play second base, shortstop, and third base. He's also played 22 games in the outfield, mostly on an emergency basis.

Nix has good speed and picks the right times to swipe a base. He was successful in 13 of 14 stolen base attempts this season and is 35 of 44 (79.5%) lifetime. Nix has decent power for a utility infielder - .358 lifetime slugging pct. - and has topped double figures in home runs three times in his MLB career.

Unfortunately for Nix his inability to get on base enough keeps him from seeing more action. His best game as a Yankee might have been the next to last game he evey played for them. In Tuesday night's come from behind win against the Toronto Blue Jays, Nix tied the game in the 7th inning with a solo home run and then provided a walk off single in the bottom of the 9th. (He also went 1-2 with two walks and two runs scored in the day portion of Tuesday night's day/night twinbill.

Nix got to the plate just once against Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on Wednesday night. Unfortunately it wasn’t a softer knuckleball, but an 80-mph fastball that bore in on Nix, leaving him and his left hand no room to escape. He stayed in the game, but only momentarily before he told first base coach Mick Kelleher that he was in pain. Nix's hand appeared to be already swollen when television cameras zoomed in for a closer look.

Ironically, Nix probably would have been out of a job in the next week with Derek Jeter starting another rehab assignment with Scranton on Thursday evening. If he heals properly Nix would be able to rejoin the Yankees after the MLB rosters expand on September 1. Until then you'll just have to hold your breath every time a ball is hit to Eduardo Nunez or Mark Reynolds on the left side of the infield.

Ichiro the Artist Collects 4,000th Career Hit

Earlier Wednesday afternoon Michael Kay wondered aloud on his radio show if anyone cared about Ichiro Suzuki reaching 4,000 career hits. How could we not? It doesn't matter that it occurred in two different countries. It's an incredible achievement.

The achievement occurred earlier this evening at Yankee Stadium in Ichiro's first at-bat of the night. Facing Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, Ichiro waved his magic wand and slapped a single past third baseman Brett Lawrie into left field.

As the fans gave him a standing ovation and a plethora of photographers clicked away, Ichiro's teammates came out to congratulate him.No player may have been more excited than Toronto infielder, fellow countryman and Ichiro's teammate in Seattle last year, Munenori Kawasaki. In reaching the milestone, Ichiro joined Pete Rose and Ty Cobb as the only players to eclipse 4,000 hits.


Ichiro started his professional career with the Orix Blue Wave in 1992 and remained there until he joined the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2001 season. The Mariners dealt the pending free agent to the Yankees at the 2012 deadline and then he re-upped with NY in the off-season.

No matter where Ichiro has played, his game is one of artistry. He runs with the grace of a young Baryshnikov while wielding a bat like a master swordsman. He doesn't get as many hits as he did when he was younger; when he seemingly got hits at will.  How could anyone hit when they moved both feet like Astaire while swinging the bat? No one else has been able to do it.

He has lost a step, but can still out run players nearly half his age. The rifle for an arm isn't quite what it used to be, but he can still run down any ball and make it look easy. (He made a sliding catch in tonight's game.) Instead of stealing bases at will, he picks his spots and is still successful. (He entered Wednesday's game with 18 steals in 21 attempts.)

In a word, Ichiro's career is legendary.

Wang Headed to Toronto

Chien-Ming Wang is headed back to the Major Leagues according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. The Yankees signed their former two time 19-game winner prior to this season and assigned him to the minor leaguers. Wang's deal had a number of target dates that gave him the opportunity to leave the organization if the Yankees didn't call him up from Scranton. That day has come.

Wang was offered a Major League deal by the Toronto Blue Jays and will be the team's starting pitcher when the team faces the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday.

Wang was 4-4, 2.33 in nine starts, but his trademark, hard biting sinker was only clocked in the 88-90 mph range instead of the 93-95 he used to throw.  Rookie Vidal Nuno's success and the possible return of Michael Pineda made Wang expendable.

Good luck to the Wanger, one of my favorite Yankees of the last decade.

Phelps Shows He Belongs

The Toronto Blue Jays haven't exactly been tearing the cover off of the baseball in a season in which many picked them to win or place in the AL East horse race. David Phelps' performance against them on Saturday should not be diminished by the fact that the Blue Jays record fell to 17-26 and they are the current owners of the AL East basement.

Phelps shook off some early inning control issues and threw a career high seven innings to improve to 2-2 on the season. Phelps will never be talked about in the same sentence with Stephen Strasburg or Justin Verlander, and that's all right. Phelps may get compared to a Mike Mussina; a guy that can dominate without firing upper 90s fastballs (He was around 90-91 mph all day Saturday) to the catcher's mitt.

While Robinson Cano (two) and Travis Hafner provided 2-run home runs in the 7-2 win, Phelps was steady and followed his plan just about to the letter. He's a guy that knows what he's doing on the mound, clearly a pitcher and not a thrower.

The University of Notre Dame product started out by facing five hitters in the first inning without one putting the ball in play. He struck out lead off hitter Melky Cabrera on a curveball that broke so hard in on the former Yankee, that it hit Cabrera in the ankle as he couldn't check his swing. His curveball and slider broke too much for right-handed hitters Jose Bautista and Edward Encarnacion, both of whom he walked.

Phelps came back and struck out catcher J.P. Arencibia, then spun around to pick Bautista off a second base with Adam Lind in the batter's box. Phelps scattered six hits the rest of the way, walked just one more hitter and finished with eight strikeouts.

The Yankees didn't take Phelps until the 14th round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft, and while some of the top tier prospects in the organization have been slow to rise up through the ranks, Phelps has quietly gone about his business and succeeded.

Yesterday was his fourth straight start since Ivan Nova was put on the disabled list. The two competed in Spring Training for the fifth spot in the rotation and though Phelps performed better, Nova won the job based on his track record and Phelps' ability to fill the Ramiro Mendoza swing man role.  Nova has been fragile and inconsistent the last two years though and Phelps is doing his best to stake a claim in the rotation. With Andy Pettitte out, Nova should join Phelps in the once he returns from the DL. What happens when Pettitte returns will be determined at that time.

In the meantime Phelps will just keep trying to get better as he has done with each of his four starts. He allowed four runs in 5.2 innings against a weak hitting Houston Astros team, but didn't figure in the decision as the Yankees won. He didn't come out with a win his next time out either in the Yankees 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies, but he limited the opposition to two runs and three hits in six innings.

Phelps was a hard luck loser when the Cleveland Indians won the opener of this past Monday's twinbill, 2-1. The five walks Phelps issued were unusual, but he struck out seven and allowed one run in 6.2 innings. The Yankees will certainly take three wins out of every four of Phelps' starts. (His other win came in a four inning relief apperance, also against the Blue Jays.) Now they just need to let him take the ball every fifth day.

Score First, Ask Questions Later

Scoring first in the 6th game of the 2009 World Series was muy bueno.

Interesting stat from the Elias Sports Bureau. With the Yankees and Hiroki Kuroda's 5-0 blanking of the Toronto Blue Jays last night, the Yankees became the first team to go 17-0 at the start of a season when they take the first lead of the game.

It's the longest streak since the 1992 Mets started 18-0 in "score first" games under manager Jeff Torborg. Unfortunately for the Mets, they only won 54 other games that year. The Yankees hope to avoid a similar fate.

Pitchers Must be Protected

Scenes like this need to be prevented.

If you didn't watch the live telecast of the Toronto Blue Jays - Tampa Bay Rays game, you may not want to watch the replay of Blue Jays' pitcher J.A. Happ take a line drive off his head.

The sound itself was horrible - Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey described the impact as sounding like the ball had been hit by two bats; the actual swing by Desmond Jennings and then the collision with Happ's head. I was grateful the camera shot was from behind Happ rather than from behind home plate.

It was unsettling to watch the fear on the faces of players on both teams as Happ fell to the ground, bloodied on the left side of his head, and stayed there until the he was stabilized and carted off the field. Happ was taken to the hospital for precautions and kept overnight. He was released earlier today and said he was in "good spirits".

How long Happ remains out remains to be seen. He appears to be luckier than Brandon McCarthy was last season when he was hit by a comebacker while pitching for the Oakland A's. It resulted in a skull fracture that required surgery and a six day hospital stay. McCarthy missed the last month of the season and playoffs, but he's back this season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As a Yankees fan, I automatically think of the Yankees-Red Sox game back in 2000 when the Yankees Ryan Thompson hit a line drive into the face of Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie. It was a horribly bloody injury that compromised Florie's vision. He got back to the Red Sox the following season, but was released after seven big league appearances and then bounced around the minor leagues until he called it quits in 2007.

So what do you do? Pitchers can't wear helmets. Do you put some kind of insert in the cap similar to those used by batters as a pre-cursor to batting helmets? (McCarthy pointed out that neither Happ nor he would have been protected by an insert).

ESPN's Buster Olney was on Michael Kay's radio show Wednesday afternoon and mentioned that Major League Baseball is looking at some kind of insert, perhaps kevlar, for the caps. He emphasized that the league has to look into the impact on a pitcher's mechanics and comfort level.  Any kind of head gear would probably need to be tested in the minors first and with the generation of players that will arrive in the Majors soon. Just like the NHL did when helmets became mandatory, the current players would probably be grandfathered in to the old rules giving them the choice to wear some kind of protective head gear.

Whatever the league comes up with, something needs to be done soon. The number of incidents of pitchers being seriously injured has increased and it would be sad if nothing was done until, God forbid, someone suffered a fatal injury.

Cano, Yankees Leave Their Mark On Buehrle Again

The Yankees wiped the smile off of Mark Buerhle's face again.

Mark Buehrle has had a successful 14 year career in the big leagues. 175 wins, a perfect game, a no-hitter, and a World Series ring are among the items on his resume. He's not a fantasy baseball player since he will only give you a boost in wins, but more importantly, he can't handle the New York Yankees at all. In fact, you couldn't blame him if he never wanted to face them again.

That won't be possible since Buehrle is now smack dab in the AL East after 12 seasons with the Chicago White Sox and one playing for Miami Marlins con man.  Now a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Buehrle was a handed a 3-0 lead after Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie homered in the first two innings Thursday night.

But just as they did last week in Toronto, the Yankees topped Buerhle and the Blue Jays 5-3. Vernon Wells replicated his feat from the prior meeting by hitting a second inning home run. One inning later, Robinson Cano hit his third career home run off of Buerhle with two men aboard for a 4-3 Yankees lead.

Buehrle had allowed three home runs through his first four starts, but the Yankees matched the total when Francisco Cervelli went deep in the 4th inning. The two run lead was plenty for Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched beautifully from the third inning on. Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera blanked the Jays over the final three fames with just one Toronto runner reaching base safely. Kuroda improved to 3-1 with the win.

Buehrle career record against the Yankees dropped to 1-9 in 14 career starts with a 6.19 ERA. The Yankees have a .324 average against the veteran left-hander, whose WHIP is 1.61 vs. New York compared to his career mark of 1.28 against all of baseball.

Cano has a ridiculous 1.405 OPS against Buehrle with the three aforementioned home runs and a pair of doubles in 20 at-bats (eight hits total).  Wells isn't far behind with a 1.289 OPS, that includes three home runs, four doubles, and a triple as part of a .480 average. He's also driven in 10 runs in 50 at-bats.

Notes

Wednesday night was Eduardo Nunez's time to shine in the field against Tampa Bay. Last night it was Jayson Nix wielding a hot glove at the hot corner in place of Kevin Youkilis. Joe Girardi is hoping Youkilis' back will be in good enough shape to play this weekend.

Ichiro Suzuki had a couple of hits and is 9-29 (.310) over his last five games.

Ben Francisco had one hit in the game, but is just 3-29 on the season. Even though he's a right-handed bat, he has to be the primary candidate to be let go when Curtis Granderson returns.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cano has 7 HR and 17 RBI in his last 15 games. Only Mike Napoli (19) has knocked in more runs in that span.

Ichiro Rolls a 7, Yankees Sweep

All any Yankees fan talked about prior to Tuesday's rained out game with the Toronto Blue Jays and Wednesday's make up, was the return of Andy Pettitte. And though the Texan maneuvered his way through five shutout innings, all anyone talked about after the conclusion of the day-night doubleheader sweep of the Jays was the big day Ichiro Suzuki had.

The 38-yr old outfielder went 7-8, stole four bases, and knocked in the game winner in the night cap as the Yankees defeated Toronto 4-2 and 2-1. The Baltimore Orioles improved to 15-0 in extra innings with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners in 11 innings, so the Yankees lead is back to a half-game over the O's in the AL East.

Suzuki was acquired at the trade deadline after hitting .261 with the Seattle Mariners, well below his career average. The Japanese native's average with the Yankees jumped from .288 to .317 after his big day. In the opener, Suzuki hit lead off, had three hits, and scored a pair of runs.

In the nightcap, hitting out of the eight-hole Suzuki snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning. It completed a 4-4 game and gave him the chance to steal his fourth base of the game, which he did with no problem. He had stolen just six bases in his previous 51 games with New York.

The Yankees didn't know what to expect from Pettitte in the opener, other than the knowledge that he would compete. He had some early struggles, but managed to end the 5th inning on his 75th pitch, which is just where Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild wanted him to be. 46 of those pitches were for strikes and only three outs were recorded via a fly ball. Pettitte finished his day with nine ground outs and three strikeouts to improve to 4-3.

David Robertson got tagged for a pair of runs in the 8th inning that shaved the lead to 3-2, but Suzuki came through again, this time on defense. Rajai Davis ripped a bases loaded line drive to left off of Rafael Soriano, but Suzuki was there to snare it.

Girardi used six relievers in the opener so it was imperative that David Phelps give the Yankees some innings length in the night game. He did just that, with a 6.2 innings performance, and left with the game tied at one apiece. Phelps allowed just three hits, walked three, and struck out six.

Cody Eppley retired the only batter he faced to get his first win as a Yankee (1-2) and Soriano picked up another save, his 42nd of the season.

Hughes Steps Up, Soriano Bounces Back

"Untuck, pass it on."

Tuesday evening didn't start off as a good one for the Yankees. Monday night Mark Teixeira had to leave the game with a calf strain. Later we were told it was a contusion. Turns out the initial report was correct and it was announced Tuesday afternoon that Teixeira will most likely be out 10-14 days (hopefully not more).

Translation - a lineup that has been anemic of late just got a lower red blood cell count. With Baltimore and Tampa Bay breathing down the Yankees necks in the AL East, the not so Bronx Bombers needed a big outing from Phil Hughes. The right-hander came through big time with seven solid innings and the Yankees scratched out a 2-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jays' starter Rickey Romero has been absolutely horrendous for much of the season (killing my keeper league team in the process) and walked eight hitters in last start. But against a lineup missing much of it's punch, Romero pitched his best game in weeks.

The lefty allowed a pair of runs on five hits, walked two and struck out six over seven innings. But Hughes was even better; his fortune was reversed from his last start when seven solid innings led to a 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. This time out, Hughes allowed four hits in his seven innings, walked three and struck out five and allowed a single run on a home run by Adeiny Hechavarria in the 5th inning.

Nick Swisher would like the calendar to be stuck on August for the rest of the season. With Jayson Nix and Ichiro Suzuki on base with singles in the 3rd inning, Swisher delivered a two-out single of his own to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. It was Swisher's 22nd RBI of the month, one less than his monthly high for the season that he established in April.

With Teixeira down, the Yankees reacquired veteran minor leaguer (he's also appeared in 235 Major League games) Steve Pearce from the Houston Astros.  Pearce was originally in spring training with the Minnesota Twins, but was released on March 27. The Yankees picked him up two days later, but Pearce was then bought by the Baltimore Orioles in June.

After hitting .254 in 28 games for the O's, Houston grabbed him off of waivers. Ironically, Pearce also hit .254 with the Astros over a 21 game span. Tuesday night the 29-year old found himself in the starting lineup, batting cleanup as the DH for the NY Yankees. Though he was 0-2, Pearce hustled his way into an insurance run after he led off the 4th inning with a walk.

With Russell Martin at the plate, Romero (8-12) bounced a pitch in the dirt. As soon as the ball ricocheted off of Yorvit Torrealba, Pearce took off and reached second base easily.  Martin moved him over to 3rd base with a ground out to the right side, and Curtis Granderson brought Pearce home with a deep fly to ceneter field.

Then it was all up to Hughes (13-11), who added a slider to his repertoire, and the bullpen. Oh, and a nifty little play by Robinson Cano to save the day.  Hughes walked Colby Rasmus and Edwin Encarnacion to start the 6th, but after he retired Adam Lind, Hughes got a big assist from his Gold Glove second baseman.

Cano leaped to snare Yunel Escobar's line drive and then, flat-footed, threw a bullet to Jayson Nix to double off Rasmus from third. Why Rasmus was so far off the base is anyone's guess, but no one on the Yankees really cares. They're just thankful he was.

Robertson and Soriano appeared for third straight game, making them (most likely) unavailable for Wednesday's series finale which is scheduled to start at 1:05 pm. New daddy Robertson needed just five pitches to retire the side in the 8th and Soriano bounced back from Monday's blown save with an 11-pitch effort for his 34th save.

Notes

Derek Jeter missed three weeks last season with a Grade-1 strain of a calf, but Teixeira was told his strain, though Grade-1, is not as bad.

To make room on the roster for Pearce, Casey McGehee was sent down to class 'A' Charleston. He'll likely be recalled when the rosters expand on Saturday. September 1 couldn't come at a better time since it means Teixeira likely won't have to go on the DL.

The Big Man Gets His Groove On

The Yankees increased their AL East lead while CC Sabathia was on the disabled list, but you can bet they were ecstatic to get him back tonight. A modest Tuesday night crowd was too as Sabathia cruised through six scoreless innings en route to a 6-1 Yankees win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Sabathia was DL'ed  for the first time in his career after straining his groin at the end of June. But he showed no rust in his return as the Yankees improved to 4-1 after the All-Star break. Sabathia threw 87 pitches, 66 for strikes (75.8%) and limited the Blue Jays to four hits and a walk, while he finished with six strikeouts.

The win was Sabathia's 10th of the season; in doing so, per YES research manager Jeff Quagliata (@yestoresearch), Sabathia became the first Major League pitcher since Tom Seaver to reach double figures in wins his first 12 seasons.

As is the case in most of the Yankees win this season, the home run played a big part in this one. Andruw Jones smacked one out in the 2nd inning off Brett Cecil with two aboard to give the Yankees a quick 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays defense and some non-home runs gave the Yankees some necessary insurance in the 7th inning. Third baseman Brett Lawrie played a chopper into an RBI double for Chris Stewart for a 4-1 lead. Derek Jeter followed with an RBI double to right that was misplayed by Anthony Gose, who was making his Major League debut. The final run of the inning came across on a sharp Alex Rodriguez ground out.

The run were needed when the Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out off of Chad Qualls and Clay Rapada. Joe Girardi was forced go to his closer, but Rafael Soriano only needed five pitches to end the game. J.P. Arencibia hit a bullet right to Mark Teixeira, who tagged out Gose before he could get back to 1st base.

Notes

Qualls continues to struggle and may be looking for a job soon. Since he was acquired off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies, the 33-year old right-hander has allowed five runs and nine hits in 6.1 innings pitched.

Clay Rapada showed that he is not someone likely to win a Gold Glove Award any time soon. Back on June 28, Rapada's throwing error on a potential double play ball helped cost the Yankees a game against the White Sox. Tuesday night Rapada had another miscue on a come backer with runners on the corners and one out in the 9th. Rapada cleanly fielded Gose's hack-swing/bunt, but when he looked toward 2nd base it gave Gose time to reach first safely with his first Major League hit. (Personally, I think it should be an error on Rapada). Rapada can thank Soriano and Teixeria for getting him off the hook this time around.

Robinson Cano extended his career high hitting streak to 20 games. He's hit .405 during the streak with six home runs and 20 RBI. According to the YES Network, it's the longest streak by Yankees second baseman since Joe Gordon in 1942. Ironically, Tuesday marked the 71st anniversary of the end of Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak

Jones has six home runs and 12 RBI in his last 12 games. The home run was the 432nd of his career.

Joba Chamberlain pitched an inning for the GCL Yankees and was reportedly clocked at 98 mph.

The Yankees have now scored three or more runs in 40 straight games.

Slam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am

Raul, you're so cool. - photo courtesy of northjersey.com

When it comes to hitting home runs, you won't find two more prodigious teams this season than the Yankees (144) and the Toronto Blue Jays (131). So it came as no surprise that a home run decided Monday night's series opener between the two AL East teams.

With the game tied 2-2 in the 8th, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out with a pair of singles off of Jays' reliever Aaron Loup and a hit batsmen when Jason Frasor plunked Mark Teixeira on the toe.

It's been difficult not to cringe when the Yankees have loaded the bases this season. Though they have had more than their share of grand slams, they've failed to get a big hit more times than not.

When Frasor froze Nick Swisher with a 3-2 breaking pitch for the second out of the inning, it was difficult not to think 'here we go again'. But after falling behind in the count (3-1) to Raul Ibanez, Frasor threw one right in the outfielder's wheelhouse and the 40-yr old deposited it in the right field seats for a 6-2 lead.

The Blue Jays scored a run off of Cody Eppley and Rafael Soriano, but Soriano had his shirt untucked after catching Colby Rasmus looking at a called third strike to end the game. The Yankees have won three of four since the All-Star break.

Russell Martin homered for the first time since he hit a pair of shots against the Mets back on June 10.

Robinson Cano had a pair of hits and an RBI and extended his hitting streak to a career high 19 games.

Phil Hughes threw another stellar start- 7 IP 4 H 2 ER 3 BB 4 K and allowed a solo home run to Adam Lind.

Alex Rodriguez was forced to DH after coming up with a stiff neck. It didn't bother him when he swung the bat, but he was in pain when making throws to 1st base.

Yankees Rally, Rivera Ties Hoffman

With Bartolo Colon battered by the Toronto Blue Jays' hitters, it didn't appear any monumental records would be tied this afternoon's game between the Yankees and Toronto. But the Yankees slumbering bats woke up to give the team a 7-6 lead entering the bottom of the 9th. That's all Mariano Rivera would need as he retired the side in order to earn his 42nd save of the season and number 601 for his career, tying Trevor Hoffman for the all time record.

Rivera can thank Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson most of all for the opportunity to enter Saturday's game with a lead. Down 6-1 in the 6th inning, the Yankees had already put a second run on the board when A-Rod came to the plate with two men on base. He promptly turned on an inside fastball from rookie Henderson Alvarez and drilled it over the left field fence to cut Toronto's lead to a single run.

After Aaron Laffey (3-2) held Toronto in check in the bottom of the inning, the Yankees went back to work in the 7th. Derek Jeter beat out an infielder grounder to start off the inning and Granderson then did battle with reliever Carlos Villanueva. After fouling off several 2-2 pitches, Granderson hit a pitch low in the zone and sent it over the fence in centerfield for his 40th home run of the season and the Yankees first lead of the day.

The Yankees pen made it stand up; after Scott Proctor and Laffey, Hector Noesi tossed a scoreless 7th and Rafael Soriano came on in the 8th to strike out the side for the second straight game. That left it all up to Rivera who was entering his 60th game for the 14th time in his career. He struck out Colby Rasmus looking, got Brett Lawrie on a ground out, and finished the save off when he retired pinch-hitter Eric Thames on a fly out to Granderson in center.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez's home run was the 629th of his career and his first since September 4.

Bartolo Colon's four inning start was his shortest outing since he lasted just 4.2 innings against Boston on August 5.

Nova Pitches Yankees Into First Place

Ivan Nova started out Friday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a lead off walk followed by a pair of singles. A sacrifice fly later and the Yankees were down 2-0. But Brett Gardner made two fine catches to end the inning and Nova only allowed one hit over the next six innings as the Yankees rallied for a 3-2 win. The victory combined with Boston's loss to Texas moved the Yankees into sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Nova became the first Yankees rookie pitcher to win 15 games since Stan Bahnsen won 17 in his freshman campaign in 1968. (Hopefully the Yankees won't foolishly trade him away as they did Bahnsen for the lowly Rich McKinney.)

Gardner not only made the big plays on defense, but also smacked a 2-run home run off of Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow to tie the game at 2-2 in the 3rd. The Yankees took the lead for good in the fifth after Morrow retired the first two hitters. Derek Jeter singled and Curtis Granderson drew a free pass. Robinson Cano, as he has done all season, delivered in the clutch with an RBI single for the 3-2 lead.

Nova cruised through the 7th on 97 pitches before Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera closed out the win. Rivera picked up his 37th save with a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Colon A Winner..Period

Bartolo Colon stepped out on a Major League mound in the 1st inning tonight for the first time since July 24, 2009 and though he looks like he's more suited for Sumo, the guy still knows how to pitch. He gave the Yankees a solid six innings and the Yankees gave him the run support he needed in a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. The win gave the Yankees a split of the two game series and got some revenge against the guy with the ugly glasses.

That would be left-hander Brett Cecil, who last season topped the Yankees four times in five starts. But the sixth time is apparently the charm. The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the 1st inning on a pair of walks and a Mark Teixeira double. Robinson Cano's RBI ground out put the Bombers up 1-0. An inning later, Curtis Granderson tripled home Russell Martin and came home himself on a Derek Jeter ground out. Granderson would later add an insurance run with a solo home run.

Colon meanwhile got out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 1st, but gave up a solo home run to rookie J.P. Arencibia to start the 2nd to cut the Yankees lead to 3-1. The veteran right-hander then faced the minimum amount of batters over the next four innings, allowing just a single which was erased in a double play. He ran out of gas in the 7th though, which led to an RBI single by Jayson Nix off of David Robertson; John McDonald struck out to keep the lead at 5-2.

The Blue Jays threatened again in the 9th, putting two aboard, but Rafael Soriano came on for his first Yankees' save. After walking Nix, Soriano retired McDonald and Yunel Escobar to preserve the win, the first for Colon since May 26, 2009.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup tonight after sitting out with a strained oblique. He was 0-2 with an RBI, two walks, and a caught stealing.

BD Hot Stove: Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes | Baseball Digest

D Hot Stove: Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes | Baseball Digest

It’s time to check in on the AL East and see what progress or lack of progress the teams have made.

Champion of the Winter Meetings: The Boston Red Sox clearly claim this title. First they swung a deal to bring the powerful bat of Adrian Gonzalez to Beantown and then signed the speedy Carl Crawford to a free agent deal. Post winter meetings, GM Theo Epstein has worked on stocking the bullpen. He’s added Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler, and Matt Albers and will still look to add another lefty (Felix Doubront is the sole left-hander in the pen at the moment).

Where’d everybody go?: The Tampa Rays knew this would happen, but it still has to be painful for manager Joe Maddon to see his team being dismantled. Crawford and Wheeler are in Boston. 1st baseman Carlos Pena went to the Chicago Cubs. Shortstop Jason Bartlett was dealt to the Padres. Set up man Joaquin Benoit went to Detroit. Lefty Randy Choate signed with the Marlins. Brignac will replace Bartlett and there’s still very good starting pitching, but some major holes need to be filled.

Standing Still: The NY Yankees had a chance, but it turns out they never really had a chance, to land Cliff Lee. While Boston’s offense and pen got stronger, the Yankees have been unable to fill their biggest needs, starting pitching and bullpen help. Andy Pettitte has yet to determine if wants to play again. Kerry Wood wanted a sizable “donation” from the Yankees, but instead gave the Cubs a hometown discount. Jon Rauch should be on the Yankees radar. The Yankees did add a new starting catcher, Russell Martin, with Jorge Posada taking on full time DH duty. It remains to be seen whether or not minor leaguer Jesus Montero will have an impact in 2011.

Oh Canada: The Blue Jays dealt their top starter, Shaun Marcum, for a top 2nd base prospect in the Brewers’ Brett Lawrie. A good deal for both squads. The Blue Jays are counting on their stud, Kyle Drabek, to earn a spot in the rotation some time during the 2011 season.

The Jays lost reliable set up man/closer Scott Downs, 1st baseman Lyle Overbay, and catcher John Buck, who enjoyed his best season, to free agency. As possible additions, the Jays signed 1st baseman Mike Jacobs and outfielder Corey Patterson to minor league deals. It’ll be difficult to compete with those plusses and minuses.

Hot L Baltimore: It’s been a tough off-season for the once proud Orioles. Players just don’t want to sign with a team that has been floundering in the AL East for so long. The O’s did get shortsop J.J. Hardy in a deal with the Twins and slugger/whiffer Mark Reynolds from the Diamondbacks. The latter deal cost them David Hernandez, but dealing the pitcher for some more offense was worth it.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

The Angels have reportedly dropped out of the running, for now, for 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre. The free agent is demanding a sixth year guaranteed contract.

Brandon Webb is said to be weighing offers, with either the Rangers, Cubs, or Nationals being the right-hander’s final destination.

Bautista Hits the Half Century

This may or may not be as shocking as when Brady Anderson did it, but this afternoon Jose Bautista became the 26th different major leaguer to belt 50 home runs in a season.

It was the lone run and one of only two hits the Blue Jays had in a 1-0 victory over Felix Hernandez and the Mariners.

Not to be forgotten, Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 200th hit in the game. In doing so he became the first Major Leaguer with 10 straight 200-hit seasons. Not too shabby.

Marco.........Scutaro

photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports

There may be a new swimming pool game in Boston this Summer if newly signed free agent Marco Scutaro pans out. The Red Sox signed the veteran of 8 major league seasons in to a 2-yr deal with an option for 2012.

The 34-yr old enjoyed one of his best offensive years this past season for the Toronto Blue Jays. Scutaro had career highs in home runs (12), RBI (60), walks (90), runs scored (100), and OPS (.789). Mostly a utility man for much of his career, which had stops in Oakland and in New York with the Mets, Scutaro got the chance to play regularly for the Blue Jays the past two seasons and eclipsed 500 at-bats each time.

Scutaro also gives the Red Sox some depth at second and third base, should an injury befall Dustin Pedroia or Mike Lowell.

Doc Willing to Make House Calls in the Bronx

According to a story in Friday's Toronto Sun, Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, according to a major league executive, has said he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for the Yankees next season. The effect of a 27th championship no doubt had some influence on Doc's decision, if in fact he has really made said decision.

But what would it take to get the star right-hander in Pinstripes? You can start putting a package together that begins with Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero. It's unlikely the Blue Jays would make any deal with the Bombers without Montero's inclusion.

And the Yankees would likely not make a deal without at least exploring a new contract for Halladay, whose deal expires at the end of the 2010 season.